


That Corpse Was My Bride

by SpokenOutcast



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Bellamione Cult War, Death, F/F, Zombie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-02
Updated: 2019-10-02
Packaged: 2020-11-22 07:02:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20870126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpokenOutcast/pseuds/SpokenOutcast
Summary: Bellatrix passed away a year ago, now she's come back for the second Halloween in a row. Angst. Sadness. It's not really a happy ending unless you're into finality.





	That Corpse Was My Bride

**Author's Note:**

> Definitely not my best work but it fulfils the corpse bride challenge in the bellamione discord, so eat it lmao

It was all hallows eve when a creak sounded from just outside of Hermione's bedroom door. She rolled over in an attempt to ignore it, but the creak sounded again.

"Go away!" She yelled out. The creak, which this time was followed by a distinct dragging step, sounded again. "I mean it, I don't want to see you right now." Once again, there was a creak followed by a dragging sound and an abrupt stop. Another step. She was getting closer. "I swear to God--" she was cut off by the sound of someone trying to turn the doorknob but perhaps not having the wrist strength to do so. She rolled her eyes and got out of bed. "Honestly you're insufferable!" The jiggling stopped as soon as she marched over to the door and grabbed the doorknob.

"Why don't you want to see me?" The woman on the other side asked. She sounded a bit defeated, if anything.

"You know exactly why I don't want to see you. Turn around and go back to the graveyard already!"

"But it's Halloween! I thought maybe you'd... want to spend some time together?" Hermione opened the door just enough to see a sliver of the other woman's face.

"Last Halloween all we did was fight about whether or not I should move on. What's made you change your mind?" The woman hugged herself and shrugged.

"I guess it gets pretty lonely, being able to watch people live their lives but not being able to touch them or talk to them. Being dead isn't much fun these days, if it ever was. I miss you Hermione." Hermione squinted at that as her face twisted.

"You miss me. You. Of all people. You who told me to move on, you miss me?! Oh that's rich. I love that." Tears welled up in her eyes and she choked back a sob. Who was she to come around one day out of the entire year and tell her she missed her? Who was she to act like she hadn't said some foul things last year, on this very day? Hermione was beside herself with grief and anger.

"Hermione, please let me in. I'll explain everything, or nothing, I'll do whatever you want me to do."

"I want you to go back to your grave, Bellatrix. I want you to leave me alone like you made me believe you would." Through the crack she could see Bellatrix's eyes dart from the left to the right repeatedly as though she were having some sort of internal conflict.

"Have you moved on already?" She pushed on the door.

"What does it matter? That's what you wanted me to do!"

"But have you?!" She pushed harder against the door. Hermione pushed back and nearly shut it, but for some reason spirits were considerably stronger this time of year and she nearly fell backwards when Bellatrix forced the door open enough to slip her way into the bedroom.

"Who cares? You shouldn't!" Hermione spat. Bellatrix was standoffish now, but she looked as beautiful as ever. Hermione knew the face she loved was long gone, probably nothing but a skull, but Bellatrix used glamours to make herself look more...appealing than she did in the ground. The woman's long raven curls cascaded over her shoulders, she'd even done her makeup. Her ruby red lips were pursed in a smirk only she could pull off. Hermione's heart skipped a beat as she took the woman's entire figure in.

"I think," she began, punctuating her words with forward steps, "you care. I think you care a lot." she stopped in front of Hermione, the younger witch noted how fast the damned walked amoung the living, "Don't you?" Hermione looked away at this, but Bella grabbed her chin and forced her to look into her eyes.

"What are you behind all of those glamours, Bellatrix? What do you get from this?" Her brows furrowed at that.

"You think I'm getting something from this? Like what?"

"I don't know. You've always had some sick satisfaction from making me hurt, why else--?"

"Hermione, sit." Hermione hugged herself as she sat on the bed. Bellatrix sat beside her and wrapped an arm around her. "We didn't get to talk about why I did what I did last year. I didn't think you cared, or that you really wanted to but I..."

"What? What could you possibly say to talk your way out of something this time?" She shrugged the arm off of her and scooched away. Bellatrix settled for resting her hands together in her lap.

"I had to go, you know that."

"You knew you were going to die. Why else would you leave so suddenly like you did?"

"I had a feeling I would, but I didn't want to. I pushed the wedding up for a reason, I thought maybe if our last night together was as good as any night could be, you'd remember me fondly. I didn't plan on coming back as a zombie with unfinished business." Hermione shrugged at that. What could she say? What was there to say? Nothing came to mind. Bellatrix took that as her cue to shuffle closer.

"I'm sorry I left you like I did. I want you to move on, but maybe we could have one more good night before..." Hermione turned to look at her, they were both frowning.

"Show me what you really look like now, under all those glamours." Bellatrix stood, shaking her head.

"No, you won't see me the same way ever again."

"I want to know what time has done to you, Bella." Bellatrix's chest heaved with a sigh. She knew she had nothing left to lose, and if she were going to do Hermione any last favors it might as well have been this.

"Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you." She turned around and began clawing at her face. Hermione held back bile at the noises the glamours made in protest. The squelching sounds sent shivers down her spine, but before long even Bella's clothes changed. She was still wearing the gown she got married in, that much was at least obvious. The more Bellatrix dug into her body the more Hermione wanted to look away but couldn't. It was as if a present was being unwrapped and her curiosity got the best of her. When Bellatrix turned back around Hermione gasped.

The woman's once pale complexion was beyond alive. Her skin was a pale grey blue, her eyes were glassy, the one that was still bothering to look in the right direction, her hair had even thinned itself out into strands.

"I told you, this isn't something you should see." Her teeth were all in place, Hermione was thankful for that, but her stomach had long since sunk in on itself.

"It's you. It's what you are now" she shot back. "This is why you want me to move on, isn't it?"

"That's one reason. I'm gone. You need to move on one way or another."

"Oh, Bella...I'm sorry you were taken too soon. I wish I could've--" Bellatrix darted across the room and put a bony finger up to Hermione's lips. She noticed how absurdly warm it still was, as if there were still life coursing through her old lover's frail body.

"No apologies. I did what I did on my own. I just wish you would forgive me, Hermione." Hermione once again found herself choking on a sob. Who was she to be angry at someone who risked their life for a cause they believed in? Who was she to forever hate her lover for selfish reasons? Selfish wants?

"I do. I forgive you." Bellatrix fell to her knees and put her head in Hermione's lap.

"Thank you." She might have even cried if a ghoul could produce tears.

"I love you, Bella."

"And I'll continue to love you, but now we can both move on."

"I know we can. And we will. Will you wait for me in the next--?"

"Yes. I have nothing else to wait for." Bella stood and embraced her widow one last time, Hermione couldn't help but notice how she smelled of charcoal like she had while she was alive. A moment later, her lover backed away and began to fade into a ghostly figure, and then with a wave she was gone.

One again the room felt empty. Distant. Hermione cried over her lost love one last time.


End file.
